A publication of the Association of California School Administrators
Green Schools
Green Schools
Preparing our facilities — and our students — for sustainable futures
Preparing our facilities — and our students — for sustainable futures
March | April 2026
March | April 2026
Leading your school toward California Green Ribbon recognition
By Dr. Andrea Somoza-Norton and George Garcia
Making sustainability a core part of students’ lives should be a critical priority for every school. Applying for the California Green Ribbon Schools Award (CA-GRS) offers a clear path for schools looking to reduce their environmental impact and improve student health, wellness and learning.
Growing leaders
By Heather Armelino
The Enterprise Elementary School District in Redding has developed a districtwide Horticulture Program that has improved student engagement, attendance, academic achievement, and well-being through hands-on gardening and leadership activities.
Every classroom a green classroom
By Amity Sandage
In Santa Cruz County, an innovative program is empowering TK-12 educators to integrate environmental literacy, outdoor learning and student-driven action into their everyday teaching.
From the garage to the national stage
By Morri Elliott
When students transformed a 1964 Chevy Impala into a fully electric lowrider, they had no idea their project would become a nationally recognized example of how schools can integrate workforce development, clean energy innovation, and civic engagement in meaningful ways.
Casa Blanca Elementary: A legacy reborn
By Bernie Torres, Dennis Roney, and Renee Hill
Riverside USD’s newest campus is a powerful model for education leaders seeking to design or modernize schools that are equitable, sustainable, and health-centered.
Seeds to Solutions
By Nancy Magee
California teachers now have access to high-quality, free, California-specific instructional materials called Seeds to Solutions. Here’s how these environmental lessons are moving students away from doom and gloom and toward solutions and hope.
Green by design
By Julia Eiko Hawkinson
For more than two decades, the Los Angeles Unified School District has approached its school building program with a simple but powerful idea: the school can be a teaching tool. Educational signage and demonstration areas connect students to their environment and a more sustainable future.
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